West Texas Does Wine, Mostly Right
Loop 250 / Retail Corridor · Midland · American Gastropub · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 3, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Cork & Pig Tavern’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
For Midland, Texas — a city better known for oil rigs than orange wine — Cork & Pig's 30-label list is a genuine effort. You flip through it expecting a Kendall-Jackson graveyard and instead find Stag's Leap, DeLille Cellars, and a Petit Chablis from France. The ambition is real.
The list leans hard California, which isn't a surprise for the audience, but there are some thoughtful outliers: the DeLille Cellars D2 from Columbia Valley, Moshin Vineyards Pinot Noir out of Russian River Valley, and a nod to local pride with William Chris Vineyards' Skeleton Key Cab from Texas. Il Borro Super Tuscan rounds out a small but present Italian contingent. The gaps are mostly on the lighter, food-friendly end — no Beaujolais, no Pinot Gris, no Grüner — but for a gastropub in West Texas, the range genuinely impresses.
Twenty-two pours by the glass on a 30-bottle list is an unusually high ratio, and we respect the commitment — almost everything on the list is accessible without a full bottle commitment. Social Hour (Monday through Friday, 3–6 PM) knocks whites down to $6 and reds to $7, which is legitimately the best deal in the building. Outside of that window, glass prices run $10–$21, which is fair given the brands on offer.
William Chris Vineyards Skeleton Key Cabernet Sauvignon — Unknown — list price not published per bottle
Supporting a Texas producer in Texas is always a good look, and William Chris makes some of the most honest Cab the state has to offer. Order it during Social Hour and it's a genuine steal.
Domaine Passy Le Clou Petit Chablis
Nobody in Midland is ordering the Petit Chablis — they're all grabbing the Rombauer. That's your opportunity. Crisp, mineral, zero oak, and a legitimate break from the Chardonnay-saturated rest of the list.
Stag's Leap 'The Leap' Cabernet Sauvignon
At $231 a bottle, you're paying a significant premium for a label that impresses at the table but is widely available elsewhere for considerably less. It's a flex, not a value.
Austin Hope Cabernet Sauvignon + Tavern Burger
Austin Hope is big, ripe, and built for red meat — exactly what a proper gastropub burger calls for. Paso Robles fruit weight stands up to the char without steamrolling the whole plate.
Monday–Friday — Social Hour runs 3PM–6PM. White wine for $6/glass, red wine for $7/glass.
The Bottom Line
Cork & Pig is doing more with wine than anyone should expect from a retail-corridor gastropub in Midland. The markups sting a little at the top end, but the Social Hour pricing and the breadth of the by-the-glass program make this an easy recommendation for locals who want something better than house red.
North Midland / Loop 250 · Midland · Tex-Mex and Mexican
Abuelo's is a great place to eat enchiladas and drink a margarita — the wine list is an afterthought and should be treated as one. If wine matters to you tonight, this isn't your spot.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
North Midland · Midland · Urban Winery
Texas Sun Winery is a genuinely weird and fun detour in a city not known for wine culture — the sangria program is novel, the Texas wine wall is an unexpected bonus, and the by-the-glass markup is something to watch. Come for the experience, order the bottle, skip the solo glass.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
North Midland · Midland · Urban Winery
Texas Sun is a genuine local story in a city that doesn't have many of them, and for that alone it earns a visit. Just set your expectations to 'fun afternoon on the patio' rather than 'deep wine exploration' and you'll leave happy.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
East Midland · Midland · Event Venue / Pizza & Small Plates
Pi Social isn't a wine destination, but it doesn't bill itself as one. If you're in Midland, grabbing a glass of Prosecco before a pizza on the patio, this does the job without gouging you — and that's a reasonable ask.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
North Midland · Midland · Wine Bistro
Texas Sun Winery Bistro is doing something genuinely unusual in a city where the default move is a steakhouse Cab — a house-label global list with fair prices, 38 pours by the glass, and Armenian wines you won't find anywhere else in the Permian Basin. Send your most wine-curious friend here and tell them to ignore the Malbec.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
East Midland · Midland · Italian, Neapolitan-style pizza, modern American
Pi Social isn't going to win any wine program awards, but the Thursday half-price bottles and a surprisingly solid Villa Matilde Aglianico make it worth skipping the cocktail menu at least once. For Midland, this is a respectable effort — show up on Thursday and drink smarter than the room.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
Broadway at the Beach · Myrtle Beach · American Gastropub
Liberty Tap Room is a solid spot for cold beer, a burger, and a game on the screen — but the wine list is an afterthought and the pricing reflects zero effort to earn your wine dollars. Come for the beer, skip the bottle.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · La Crosse · American Gastropub
The Crow is a legitimately fun bar — just come for the bourbon and craft beer, not the wine. If you need a glass, grab the Elmaro Rosa to support a local producer and call it a night.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
College Area / Mount Royal · Duluth · American Gastropub
Tavern on the Hill is not a destination wine spot, but it's a fair, unpretentious list that earns its keep in a fun room. If you're in the neighborhood and want a decent glass with your pizza, you won't leave disappointed — just don't come in expecting anything beyond the basics.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
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